Sera's hand laid on the spot where her husband should be, but he was gone. She rolled over, closing her eyes and allowing a quiet thought to expand into the memory of their first night together. The vivid recollection of it was still so clear in her mind, so perfectly accurate. The minute details, like his beard brushing against her skin that made it tingle even now, or how the water was so still and calm as he made love to her.
She allowed herself to live in that memory for just a few moments.
Because she missed him.
It hurt, his absence, it would never not hurt. The pain was so sharp in her chest that it ached relentlessly. She tried rubbing it away, but it only caused her to unleash a lone tear that held all her loneliness. The nights and mornings were the hardest, this one no different, but then, the quiet murmurs of her daughter babbling to herself, got Sera's attention and mended it all. Lifting her body out of the bed and staring at the vacant spot, Sera gently smiled and got up. The house was still draped in soft early morning greys.
She went into her daughter's room and saw her sitting in the rocking chair, saying incoherent words to her stuffed llama as if it understood every bizarre syllable. Once she was done with saying her piece to the llama, she shoved her thumb into her mouth and started sucking it. The sable curls around her round, squishable face swished over when she heard the creaking floorboard. The three-year-old popped her thumb out of her mouth and smiled widely, rolling over on her belly and sliding off the chair as one arm held her llama in a chokehold by its neck and the other kept her from falling off.
Every part of Sera started to heal, and she crouched down, stretching her arms to her daughter. "Hello, my little Inala, mommy needs a massive hug this morning."
Inala did her usual habit of looking down at her feet and jumping over to her mom, ringlets bouncing in that adorable rhythm. Once she was at a favorable distance she peered up, her big, beautiful dark eyes so much like her fathers, and then she lunged, Sera's arms wrapping around her daughter, squeezing her tight.
A beautiful love filtered in Sera, snuffing the loneliness out. It would be relit tonight, but for the rest of the day, she was healed. "Oh, you have no idea how much mommy loves to squeeze you tight."
She peppered her daughter with kisses but stopped when she heard a knock on her door and gasped at Inala, leaning back and making an o-shape with her mouth that Inala copied. "I think it's Aunt Ana and Oliver are here!"
Inala clapped then through her arms up, her whole body and face tensing as she shouted, "Yay!"
Sera picked her up and sat her on her hip and went over to the door opening it. Ana stood there, utterly exasperated as her two-year-old yanked on her bun profusely. "Boys are so hard."
Inala cooed, reaching her free hand out to Oliver who abandoned Ana's ratted bun in favor for his cousin. They sat the children down and they both clumsily ran into the kitchen. "Can I make you breakfast? I am about to make some coffee."
"Coffee, please." Ana fell into the chair and put her elbows on the table. "Oliver has been up since midnight. Why can't he love sleep like Inala does?"
Sera worked at making the coffee. "Because your husband doesn't sleep, like, ever."
Ana grumbled. "I swear, I'm going to kill August."
Sera laughed. "Hoping for a girl next?" she asked, pointing to her sister's round belly.
"Yes, I am outnumbered. I need a girl." Ana leaned back, staring at her sister with compassionate eyes. "How are you doing?"
Sera placed a mug down, the click of it meeting the counter almost as loud as the kids playing. "When I'm alone, it's hard, but I'm okay." She glanced over at her daughter running away from Oliver in that weird jump, skipping fashion she does. "As soon as Inala wakes up everything is much better."
Ana gave her sister a sympathetic smile. "Want to come over for dinner tonight?"
Sera shook her head. "No, I have a lot to do here."
She finished the coffee and handed a mug to Ana, sitting down and sipping her own. "Has August finished with the extension yet?"
"No," Ana sighed. "He does it on his downtime. It would be if Omeo were here to help, but we both know where he is."
Sera missed her nephew dearly, but Ana missed him the most and Sera gave her sister a small knowing smile. "It'll get done in time. It's August. he's a work maniac. Besides, it shouldn't be too much longer."
"Yeah," Ana whispered, bringing the coffee to her lips. "I just hate the waiting part."
"Me too."
The two sat in silence as the morning sunrise began to pool into Sera's home. Both jolted when they heard shouts from the kids. They rushed into the sitting room and saw Inala and Oliver's faces pressed up against the window.
Sera straightened, her body going rigid as she breathed in an excited breath. "Stay here with the kids," she told her sister then bolted for the door, swinging it open.
Lifting her skirts, Sera ran with all her might, passed the grass and into the sandy ground, her legs burning and heart thundering in her chest. There, riding toward her in the distance at the breaking horizon...
Was her husband.
"Roman!" he shouted in a sob of pure joy.
Her feet pounded against the desert floor, her breathing sporadic. Roman galloped hard until he reached her, jumping down before Kuypang came to a halt. He ran hard and grabbed his wife and crushed her into a massive hug, kissing her hard, feverishly, missing her taste just she much as she missed his.
Sera pulled away panting, "I demand you switch professions again."
Roman chuckled. "Did my passionate wife miss me?"
"Yes," Sera admitted in a whisper on his lips. "But I know someone who has missed you more."
Her husband parted with her, mounting Kuypang and reaching his hand down to her, Sera took it and let him hoist her up. She could sense his impatience at seeing his daughter. They rode back to the house, and he dismounted, not even helping Sera off as he rushed up the steps, but Sera didn't care in the slightest as happy tears pricked her eyes at her Inala shouting, "Daddy!"
Jumping down, she calmly walked into her home and watched with tears blurring her vision as Roman squeezed his daughter tight, kissing her squishy cheeks. "Oh, I've missed you."
Ana was quickly emptying her mug and grabbing Oliver. "Playdate is over!"
Roman chuckled. "Omeo is already home."
Ana kissed her brother-in-law's cheek. "Good to see you, Roman. I hope delivering the cattle went well." She did not give him enough time to answer as she rushed out the door happily saying to Oliver, "Time to go see your big brother!"
Sera went up and kissed her husband. "Welcome home."
*
Sera laid on Roman's chest, the vacant spot now filled with his naked masculine figure and warmth. He burrowed his nose in her hair, breathing her in and enjoying the scent. "God! I've missed you."
"You have no idea," Sera stated, resting her chin on his beautifully carved chest as she peered up at him through thick lashes. The moon's glow cut along his exotic features, his bold lips the most beautiful temptation she got to indulge in.
His hand brushed her strands out of her face, fingers trailing through the long locks and gliding down along the scars peppering her back. "What bottled memory did you open up the most in my absence?"
She smiled and crawled up and over her husband, her lips hovering right above his sensational mouth. "The first night we made love. I opened it just this morning for the hundredth time."
He gripped her hair, pulling her down for a kiss. "I thought of it too."
"You were gone far longer than you stated, and I have become restless." Sera breathed out as her husband's mouth left hers and traveled down her neck in open mouthed kisses.
He brought his arm around her waist and switched their positions. "How restless?"
She squirmed underneath his magnificent, muscular form that weighed down on her and pinned her in place, a coy smile playing along her lips. "Very."
His mouth lowered, kissing her sensitive collarbone that burned in response. "Then I will not sleep for a moment until I cure this ailment of yours," he vowed. Sera laughed as Roman started biting her neck and licking it. Their body's tangled and wrestled in the sheets as they made love deep into the night.
The End
We have come to the end! Did I scare you all for a second hahahahaha! That was mean of me. I can't believe it is over! I hope all of you have enjoyed Roman and Sera's story along with Ana, August, and Omeo.
I would love to hear from you all!
What did you love?
What did you hate?
What did you need more of?
Who was your favorite character?
If you all are interested in another historical romance written by me, I have one ready to edit! If so, let me know here and I will publish the first two chapters to see what you all think :)
I am now going to go through and make small edits, maybe add another chapter in to build up the climax just a tad more. Hoping it does well in the Watty's and most of all, that you all loved this story!
Thank you to each and every one of you for reading, commenting, and showering this book with love. This was my first historical romance I ever wrote, and it challenged me in my writing style. I was happy to expand my abilities and try writing in third person, past tense.
Thank you all! And I look forward to your feedback.